Gem From The Archive
Rachael Muir of the Bank of England Archive shares an ordinary man’s journal of his extraordinary voyages
A bank clerk’s fascinating WW1 journal, 1916–1917
Aretired bank clerk seems an unlikely person for derringdo. Yet when the First World War broke out, the Bank of England summoned Frank White for an important but dangerous mission. Fortunately the bank’s archive holds his diary of his adventures, as assistant archivist Rachael Muir explains.
Who Was Frank White?
When we meet Frank George White at the start of his diary, he is a retired member of Bank of England staff in his late fifties. From our staff records, we know that Frank was elected as a clerk to the Bank of England on 5 June 1879, when he was 22 years old. In the latter part of his career, he was a clerk within the Cashier’s Store Office until he left in April 1913 owing to ill health.
Frank explains at the beginning of his diary that he was summoned back to the Bank of England in 1916 a few years following his resignation. He received a letter from the chief cashier, Sir John Gordon Nairne, requesting his assistance because “some valuable papers were being taken across the Atlantic to New York”. Frank goes on to reminisce that “Little did I think then that within the next twelve months, I was to cross the Atlantic eighteen times, and indeed to have the ‘years of my life’!”
Crossing the Atlantic 18 times in 12 months is no small feat today, let alone in 1916–1917 in the midst of the First World War! We understand from one of Frank’s later entries that he was responsible for the transfer of securities, a type of bond that was issued by the Government.
Can You Describe The Journal To Me?
His Diary of 18 Crossings of the Atlantic was written from rough notes he recorded throughout his voyages to America, usually written each night. There are two versions. One is a small black leather diary with gold edging, containing only text. The second, which is pictured above, is a much larger bound book, which includes the diary entries alongside many mementos of his travels, such as postcards, photographs, maps, even a rose badge: “Upon arriving at Waterloo Station I am greeted by a smiling young lady, who insists upon pinning a rose on my coat, informing me that today is the Queen Alexandra’s Rose Day!” It is these small details and personal remarks that really bring Frank’s journeys to life for the reader.
Why Did You Choose It?
Our archive largely preserves the records of the Bank of England’s operations as a central bank. Although fantastic staff records exist, documents that record work by a specific member of staff in such detail are rare.
It’s apparent that Frank wrote his diary with pride and fondness. He recounts a time during the First World War that was a world away from the trenches. From his descriptions, we gain an insight into the comfort and glamour that came with travelling by cruise liners, as well as the trepidation and life-threatening danger of sailing among enemy submarines. We see Frank’s concern and admiration for the ships when he describes learning of the mining of the Celtic, one of the liners he’d travelled on, in February 1917: “Upon arriving at the White Star Office I am quite
taken aback when they tell me that my Celtic, upon which I had so lately come home, had been mined, and so badly damaged that she had been obliged to return to dock… I have made three voyages upon her, and she has become almost a home to me, and don’t I know every part of her, and every ‘hold on’, and nearly everyone on board…”
His account highlights the key role of individuals who had retired, but found themselves returning to paid employment to fill the gap of those who had left to serve.
As Frank puts it, “I was doing my ‘bit’ in the middle of the great war.” Frank’s diary is a fantastic primary source covering the impact of the First World War on an older generation, but also maritime life, travel in the early 20th century, economic history, and the wider work of the Bank of England.
What Other Items Do You Have In Your Collection?
The archive contains more than 95,000 records dating from as early as 1516 to the present day. Records include the minutes of our governing committees such as the Court of Directors, and modern files on our policymaking and domestic
‘Frank’s account highlights the key role of individuals who had retired’
and international work. But the archive also goes beyond the realms of economic history and covers subjects including architecture and design, the impact of the First and Second World War, and changes in local trade and industry as told through our 20th-century branch records.
The archive contains a large collection of staff records too, plus customer account and stock ledgers of huge interest to family historians. Notable individuals found to have invested in stock include Jane Austen and JMW Turner. Our catalogue can be searched at bankofengland. co.uk/CalmView/default. aspx, and family historians can arrange to visit our searchroom to consult original documents.